2 Finalists Named for Bowen Law School Dean

Colin Crawford, left, and Christian Johnson, the two finalists to become the next dean of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law announced that it has narrowed its search for a new dean to two finalists.

Colin Crawford, former dean of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, and Christian Johnson, the inaugural dean for Widener University Commonwealth Law School, are the candidates to succeed Theresa Beiner in the role.

Beiner has held the position since 2018 and is the first woman to lead the law school. She’s stepping down to rejoin the faculty. 

As part of the interview process, the two candidates will meet with the search committee and members of the Bowen School of Law, and offer a presentation to the campus community. 

Crawford is scheduled to visit on March 3. Johnson’s visit is set for March 6.

Crawford previously held tenured positions at Tulane University, Georgia State University, and Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego. He founded and co-directed the Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth at Georgia State University.

Crawford holds a bachelor’s in history from Columbia University, a master’s in history and is pursuing a Ph.D. in modern history from the University of Cambridge, and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

As a scholar, Crawford focuses on environmental, property, urban development, and land-use law questions, especially in a comparative and international context.

Johnson previously served as the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair of the Law and the associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Utah College of Law.

Before moving to Utah, he was a law professor at Loyola University Chicago for 13 years.

He has 27 years of experience in legal education and is a frequent commentator and academic focusing primarily on global capital markets. He has co-authored five books and written over three dozen articles on capital markets and central banks.

Johnson holds a bachelor’s and a master’s in accounting from the University of Utah and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.